Expressing Emotions

[I Like Sushu]

What comes more natural to the human heart the desire to express “positive” thoughts of joy, hope optimism and love, or the desire to express “negative” thoughts of pain, suffering, hate, rage and pessimism?

My view is that people generally have a natural disposition to express more “negative” thoughts and feelings than they do more “positive” thoughts and feelings.

Also, what are your thoughts about “Cartharsis” in respect to Aristotle and the various interpretations of this term (not particularly interested in dictionary definitions as this has remained a contentious issue among scholars for quite some time!)

[odysseus]

I Like Sushu
What comes more natural to the human heart the desire to express “positive” thoughts of joy, hope optimism and love, or the desire to express “negative” thoughts of pain, suffering, hate, rage and pessimism?

My view is that people generally have a natural disposition to express more “negative” thoughts and feelings than they do more “positive” thoughts and feelings.

Also, what are your thoughts about “Cartharsis” in respect to Aristotle and the various interpretations of this term (not particularly interested in dictionary definitions as this has remained a contentious issue among scholars for quite some time!)

Better to limit entanglements and keep a steady eye on being independent emotionally. Not like the Stoics or the Epicureans; more like the Buddhists: above it all, yet deeply committed the nameless joy of Being here.

[Sculptor]

My view is that people generally have a natural disposition to express more “negative” thoughts and feelings than they do more “positive” thoughts and feelings.

Where do you live?
Or more to the point, how do you live with regard to social interaction?

[Walker]

We get on the subway and the junkie up there is having a bad morning. Needs a fix, acting like ants in his pants, on his arms, in his hair. We change cars, within minutes he follows. Okay. A circling shark. Now he’s at the other end of the car eyeballing us, loud mutters in harsh tones, a whack or two to his own dirty doo, working up to something. Quick and jerky, sometimes a shout. Yep. Pretty obvious. A great big old black man set to ride backwards turns to look at him, then turns and looks at us, facing us from his chair, still holding his paper but not reading, staring right at us and I can practically hear him thinking … this should be interesting. We stand out. We look different like, what are you doing here fools, and I’m thinking back, we are free humans and we go where we please. I’m thinking, I’d sure hate to crack that junkie over the head, it just won’t go well for all concerned. Imaginative pre-play: collar bone crush, hook the weight-bearing ankle with the J-hook, quick step back, down he goes and no yanking required. Then, a change and it’s out of our hands. The train stops, the doors open, a sea of humanity pours in. Hundreds of uniformed British teenagers filling every train car. Nothing but laughter, bright faces, chatter, energy. The car is packed, standing room is shoulder-to-shoulder. I chat up the nearest tall boy, rosy cheeks that have never felt a razor either vertical or horizontal. Lovely musical accents all around and we can’t help but smile and laugh too, for our own reasons. They’re part of the WSJ* as it says on their kerchiefs under the Union Jack, they’re on their North American excursion, he tells me their itinerary and I think, such privileged youth these boys and girls who at this moment, are actually washing away the darkness with sheer presence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhrg6SH9yvE



* https://www.scout.org/jamboree